by leslierankowfinearts

Agnieszka KurantUntitled , 2014Conveyor belt and mirror

IN 2oo6, TANYA BONAKDAR GALLERY UNDERWENT A MAJOR RENOVATION, DOUBLING ITS SIZE AND SCALE, ADDING 5,000 SQUARE FEET OF GROUND FLOOR SPACE. THE GALLERY HAS ALWAYS ENJOYED A STELLAR REPUTATION FOR SUPPORTING THE MORE THAN THIRTY ARTISTS IT REPRESENTS WORLDWIDE SUCH AS SARAH SZE, WHO REPRESENTED THE UNITED STATES AT THE LAST 55th VENICE BIENNALE WITH AN LARGE-SCALED, SITE-SPECIFIC INSTALLATION, TRIPLE POINT. THE GALLERY CONTINUALLY MAKES AN IMPRESSIVE COMMITMENT TO PRESENTING WORKS IN ALL MEDIA, HOWEVER DEMANDING THE SCALE, SCOPE AND AMBITION OF THE WORK. THE PHYSICAL EXPANSION ONLY SERVED TO UNDERLINE ITS DEDICATION TO THEIR CONTEMPORARY PROGRAM AND EXHIBITION CAPABILITIES. http://www.tanyabonakdargallery.com/gallery

I A M DELIGHTED TO HAVE GALLERY DIRECTOR, RENEE COPPOLA, DISCUSS THE CURRENT PROGRAM AT THE GALLERY AND SOME OF THE NEWER ARTISTS IT REPRESENTS. THE CURRENT SOLO EXHIBITION BY ANALIA SABAN IS A GREAT PLACE TO START! PRESENTED ON BOTH FLOORS OF THE GALLERY, SABAN INVITES US INTO A METAPHORICAL BACKYARD IN WHICH THE OBJECTS AND PAINTINGS SHE HAS CREATED DISRUPT OUR TRADITIONAL IDEAS ABOUT THE PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS SUCH AS WOOD, MARBLE, PIGMENTS AND ENCAUSTIC. http://www.tanyabonakdargallery.com/exhibitions/analia-saban-backyard

RENEE, WHO ARE SOME OF THE ARTISTS THAT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN INTRODUCED TO THE ART WORLD BY THE GALLERY AND WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THEIR WORK?

Some of our newest artists include Agneiszka Kurant, Meschac Gaba, and Analia Saban. Agnieszka’s first exhibition at the gallery was in September 2014, and she is an artist whose work is very technological and future-minded. Kurant weaves together ideas about collective intelligence, hybrid authorship, immaterial labor, and virtual capital in stunning installations and sculptures. Her show was fascinating, as it touched on the complex relationships between value, authorship, production, and circulation. African artist Meschac Gaba is another new artist whose work also addresses capital by looking at constructions of identity in relation to systems of trade, notably between Africa and Western countries.

Born in Argentina and living in New York, her work has a subtle and playful irony, as she challenges perceived boundaries between artistic disciplines. Her work responds to art historical tropes by experimenting with materials and exploring the link between art and domestic space.

Saban’s newest work is currently on view at the gallery and was recently shown at the New Orleans biennial “Prospect 3” at the New Orleans Contemporary Arts Center.

Analia SabanBulge #42014Encaustic on walnut stretcher bars

THE GALLERY SHOWS WORK OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF ARTISTS WITH, THANKS TO THE GALLERY SUPPORT, INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION. IN MY VIEW, THE WORK IS EXTREMELY DIVERSE, NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF MEDIUM, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF AESTHETIC. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE UNDERLYING CONNECTION BETWEEN THEM, IF THERE IS ONE?

If there is an underlying connection, it is that the artists in Tanya’s roster are visionaries, continually exploring new ground, while actively participating in the contemporary dialogue of art, as well as other disciplines like ecology, politics, psychology, etc. Some of this is most apparent in the work of artists who are interested in literal ideas about the future, and how our growing population will organize and relate to each other, as well as the environment, in the years ahead. Tomas Saraceno is one of those artists. His work explores the possibility of a future airborne existence, a literal city in the clouds, and is informed by natural sciences, architecture, engineering, and art. His sculptures adapt geometries of the natural world in order to envision new ways of living. In this way, he is connected to other visionary thinkers like Buckminster Fuller, architect Yona Friedman, and other inventors and explorers.

Other artists at the gallery who I would group in this particular category are Ernesto Neto, Olafur Eliasson, Mark Dion, and Charles Long to name a few.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT OF GALLERY MANAGEMENT? IS THERE A PARTICULAR MEDIUM OR AESTHETIC TO WHICH YOU RESPOND THE MOST STRONGLY?

My favorite part of gallery management happens on the last day of an installation, when the work is polished, placed, and ready for opening day. I think of this day as an important transitional moment, as the artist essentially hands over months, maybe years, of work to the gallery – entrusting us to take it to the next level and present these pieces to the world. I find this to be a very positive moment and appreciate our role in shaping the understanding of new artwork in the eyes of the public, collectors, curators, and other arts enthusiasts.

OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG WILL RECAP SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TWENTY YEAR HISTORY OF THE GALLERY. WE WELCOME QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS!